Month Long Special - Beef Stew (Cubes - Long)

So we saved this post for today because we are taking the work of a whole Beef roast out of the recipe. Beef chunks, whether you buy them that way or chunk up a cut of beef yourself, is a great trick to speeding up Beef Stew.

So we want to start with the Beef. Again, if you are cutting up your own beef you will want to do that first. In a small bowl, place 1/4 cup of flour, salt, and pepper and mix together. You can also use a meat tenderizer if you feel you need it. You want to toss the meat in this mixture, making sure each piece is lightly coated (make sure to knock off any excess).

In a non-stick frying pan, add the beef chunks, one medium onion sliced or diced, and two cloves of garlic minced or grated. Cook the beef so that all sides are browned but still raw (keep in mind this meat is going into the oven to cook fully).

While the meat is browning, you can start chopping up the vegetables. We used Onions (chopped), garlic (minced), Potatoes (cubed), Carrots (sliced) and Mushrooms (quartered). You can throw them all into a roasting pan with oil (any cooking oil that does not give off its flavour will do). Add your prefered seasoning (we choose a greek mix), and toss everything to make sure it is coated. Place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 1 hour (making sure to toss things every 20 or so minutes to make sure things do not stick or burn). After the oil has mostly disappeared (about 10 to 15 minutes) add in 1 cup of red wine or grape juice.

As you wait you can start making the beef broth, you can buy it in the box for sure, but we always find that you need to add flavour to it. We use bouillon and broth, just broth or just bouillon with water would be fine. With twenty minutes left on the hour, add the beef in along with 1 cup of Beef Stock or Broth.

As this cooks brown flour, we are going to brown 3/4 of a cup of flour but you may not need that much. Once everything has cooked completely remove the roasting pan from the oven. Again we are taking the meat and veggies out. And we are making gravy with the remaining juice. Slowly add flour in small batches, whisking completely before adding more. Once your gravy has formed, add in the meat and vegetables, give it one last stir and serve.